Photo electric organ



1965 R. F. WROBLEWSKI 3,223,769

PHOTO ELECTRI C ORGAN Filed Oct. 11, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR Ht/ram E Wmb/ewsk/ Attorneys Dec. 14, 1965 R. F. WROBLEWSKI 3,223,769

PHOTO ELECTRIC ORGAN Filed 001. 11, 1963 2 sheetssheet 2 FIG. 6

Bis/ Isa Q INVENTOR. H6

56%] gfiard Wrob/ewsk/ W M Attorneys United States Patent ()fifice 3,223,769 Patented Dec. 14, 1965 3,223,769 PHOTO ELECTRIC ORGAN Richard F. Wrohlewski, 335 E. 8th St., New York 9, N.Y. Filed Oct. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 315,608 14 Claims. (Cl. 84-118) This invention relates to keyboard instruments and more particularly to a photoelectric organ. This is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 53,662, filed Sept. 26, 1960, and of my application Serial No. 671,559, filed July 12, 1957.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a photoelectric organ having tone control means whereby an electric organ can be used to produce notes sounding in several eligible timbres and mixtures thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a photoelectric organ of the above type wherein the timbre of each note may be selectively controlled by controlling the transmission of light from a light source to a photosensitive element through a replaceable tone coloring strip containing a plurality of wave forms.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a photoelectric organ bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invent-ion, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view, with parts broken away, of a photoelectric organ made in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of certain operating parts of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing other parts forming a part of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view in cross section of a photoelectric organ constructed in accordance with another embodiment of this invention; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a portion of the organ illustrated in FIGURE 5.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing (FIGS. 1-4, inclusive), a photoelectric organ made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a separate control unit for each key on the keyboard. Each control unit includes a light source 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2) having a projection lens 11 for transmitting light past an air driven reed 12 that is supported Within a clear plastic reed block 13. This light is directed towards a photoelectric cell 20 through a condensing lens 15 and a plurality of selectively operated shutters 16, as will be hereinafter described. An appropriate amplifier 8 and speaker means 9 is operated by the photoelectric cell to deliver musical sounds as the light beam is modulated by the reed. The tone coloring strip 35 is disposed intermediate the shutters 16 and the photoelectric cell 20 so as to produce a note sounding in substantially any desired timbre as well be hereinafter described.

In operation, the downward movement of any single keyboard key 25, FIG. 1, is operative to close an associated switch 26 to energize a solenoid 27 so as to effect the retraction of a plunger 28 out of closing engagement with the air hole 29 in the reed block 13. The opening of the air hole 29 is operative to permit the passage of air inwardly through the air hole past the reed 12 and into the air chest 30, FIG. 2, under the action of an exhaust fan 32, FIG. 1. This passage of air is operative to drive the reed 12, thereby setting up vibrations and affecting the transmitted light from the light source 10 in a known manner so as to produce the desired audible note.

The timbre of the audible note is controlled by means of a tone coloring strip 35 that is disposed intermediate the light source and the photoelectric cell 20. This strip 35 is provided with a plurality of wave form patterns of any suitable design that can be cut out of the strip or may be taken from variable area sound on film recordings or oscillogram photos taken from oscillograph tracings. The normally closed shutters 18, however, are operative to block the passage of light to the cell 20 but are adapted to be selectively moved from the closed position to the open position 16a in response to energization of the respective solenoids 22 associated therewith. By depressing any one of a plurality of tone selection keys 23, a switch 24 associated therewith is operative to energize the respective solenoid 22 to eifect rotation of the support shaft 17 about the longitudinal axis of the shutter, which shaft 17 supports the shutter upon the vertical standards 18. In this position, as shown in FIGURE 3, light is permitted to pass through the opening defined by the open shutter 16a so that the light is directed through the wave form of the tone coloring strip 35 adjacent thereto, so as to affect the timbre of the audible note. Upon moving the tablet key 23 to the open position, the solenoid 22 is deenergized returning the shutter to the normally closed position.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 is generally similar to that illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 4 inclusive, and only the revised portions thereof have been shown. The device of FIGURES 5 and 6 includes shutters 116 mounted on standards 118, only one of which is shown. Light passing the shutters 116 reaches a photocell 120 through apertures 136 in sleeves 135. There is one sleeve and one aperture for each shutter. The sleeves are formed of opaque material and are slideably and rotatably mounted on the photocell 120 so that each aperture can be adjusted circumferentially of the photocell. Light is transmitted by a lamp (not shown) and is modulated by a reed (not shown), which can be similar to the structure shown in FIGURES 1 to 4, the light being transmitted by lens system 115 to the shutters and photocell. Thus, the apertures can be readily adjusted sidewise of the light being transmitted to the photocell.

While various changes may be made in the details of construction, it will be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a photoelectric organ for delivering a musical sound, a playing key, a switch operated by said key, a light source having a condensing lens for transmitting light, a transparent reed block aligned with the transmitted light and having a reed chamber with an air hole, a reed adapted to be vibrated within the reed chamber, an air chest communicating with the reed chamber, air exhaust fan for exhausting air from the air chest and the reed chamber to vibrate the reed therein, a plunger normally closing the air hole in the reed chamber, a solenoid for operating said plunger to open the air hole, said key switch connected in electric circuit relation with the solenoid to retract the plunger when the playing key is depressed, and thereby cause the reed to vibrate, said light passing through said chamber containing said air driven reed, a projection lens in the path of the transmitted light from the reed, a photoelectric cell in front of said projection lens, a plurality of selectively operated normally closed shutters disposed in front of the photoelectric cell solenoids for respectively operating the shutters, means including a tone coloring strip disposed betwen the shutter and photoelectric cell for controlling the timbre of the musical sound, tablet keys for operating the respectiveshutters, and amplifier and speaker means operated by the photoelectric cell to deliver the musical sound.

2. In a photoelectric organ, means for transmitting a light beam, a transparent reed block, an elongated reed mounted in said block and having a portion mounted in the path of said light beam for vibration transversely thereof, means for vibrating said reed, a photoelectric cell in the path of said light beam, amplifier and speaker means operated by the photoelectric cell, the reed obstructing at least a portion of the light beam directed to the photoelectric cell, whereby the light beam reaching the photoelectric cell is modulated and musical sounds are produced as the light beam is modulated by the reed, and means for controlling the timbre of said musical sounds, said last mentioned means comprising a plurality of selectively operated, normally closed shutters disposed between said reed and said photoelectric cell, each of said shutters exposing a selected portion of the beam interrupted by a selected portion of the reed to the photoelectric cell, and means for selectively operating said shutters.

3. In a photoelectric organ, means for transmitting a light beam, a transparent reed block, an elongated reed mounted in said block and having a portion mounted in the path of said light beam for vibrating transversely thereof, means for vibrating said reed, a photoelectric cell in the path of said light beam, amplifier and speaker means operated by the photoelectric cell, the reed obstructing at least a portion of the light beam directed to the photoelectric cell, whereby the light beam reaching the photoelectric cell is modulated and musical sounds are produced as the light beam is modulated by the reed, and means for controlling the timbre of the musical sounds, said last mentioned means comprising a plurality of wave forms disposed between said reed and said photoelectric cell, each of said wave forms permitting the passage of a selected and defined portion of the light beam interrupted by a selected and defined portion of the reed to the photoelectric cell, and means for selectively passing the selected and defined portions of the light beam, said light beam passing through a wave form and being modulated by a selected and defined portion of said elongated reed to produce a particular and individual timbre.

4. In a photoelectric organ having amplifier and speaker means operated by a photoelectric cell, the combination comprising a photoelectric cell, means for transmitting a light beam to said photoelectric cell, timbre controlling light valve means including at least one wave form aperture and a respective shutter for each thereof between said light beam transmitting means and said photoelectric cell and operable to select and pass a predetermined portion of said light beam to said photoelectric cell, an elongate reed having a portion between said light transmitting means and said photoelectric cell and vibratable transversely of said light beam to cyclically intercept at the reed vibration frequency a varying portion of the timbre controlling light valve selected portion of the light beam which is modulated thereby before it reaches the photoelectric cell, whereby the photoelectric cell operates the amplifier and speaker and a tone is produced of desired frequency related to the frequency of the reed vibration and of a timbre corresponding to the predetermined portion of said light beam passed to said photoelectric cell.

5. In a photoelectric musical instrument, means for transmitting a light beam,an elongated reed in the path of said light beam to vibrate transversely thereof, means for vibrating said reed, a photoelectric cell in the path of said light beam, amplifier and speaker means operated by the photoelectric cell, the reed obstructing the light beam directed to the photoelectric cell, whereby the light beam reaching the photoelectric cell is modulated and musical sounds are produced as the light beam is modulated by the reed, and means for controlling the timbre of said musical sounds, said last mentioned means comprises an aperture interposed between said light transmitting means and said photoelectric cell and adapted for vertical and horizontal adjustment for alignment with a desired portion of the vibrating reed and the inherent harmonic series thereof to produce the desired timbre.

6. In a photoelectric musical instrument, means for transmitting a light beam, an elongated reed in the path of said light beam to vibrate transversely thereof, means for vibrating said reed, a photoelectric cell in the path of said light beam, amplifier and speaker means operated by the photoelectric cell, the reed obstructing the light beam directed to the photoelectric cell, whereby the light beam reaching the photoelectric cell is modulated and musical sounds are produced as the light beam is modulated by the reed, and means for controlling the timbre of said musical sounds, said means comprising a plurality of apertures, each of said apertures adapted to be movable for sidewise adjustment and disposed between said light transmitting means and said photoelectric cell, each of said apertures defining a particular portion of said vibrating reed in the light beam and extracting from said particular portion of said reed a particular harmonic series inherent to said particular portion as defined by said apertures to form a particular and desired timbre corresponding to said harmonic series, and means for selectively opening said apertures.

7. In a photoelectric musical instrument, means for transmitting a light beam, an elongated reed in the path of said light beam to vibrate transversely thereof, means for vibrating said reed, a photoelectric cell in the path of said light beam, amplifier and speaker means operated by the photoelectric cell, the reed obstructing the light beam directed to the photoelectric cell, whereby the light beam reaching the photoelectric cell is modulated and musical sounds are produced as the light beam is modulated by the reed, and means for controlling the timbre of said musical sounds, said means comprising a plurality of selectively operated normally closed shutters disposed between said light transmitting means and said photoelectric cell, each of said shutters defining a particular area of the reeds sweep transversely of the light beam to the photoelectric cell and extracting from said particular area of the reeds sweep a particular harmonic series inherent in said particular area of the reeds sweep to form a particular timbre, and means for discriminating said harmonic series, said last mentioned means comprising a plurality of apertures aligned with said shutters and adapted to be movable for sidewise adjustment to discriminate said harmonic series in said reeds sweep to produce a desired and particular timbre.

8. In a photoelectric musical instrument, means for transmitting a light beam, an elongated reed in the path of said light beam to vibrate transversely thereof, means for vibrating said reed, a photoelectric cell in the path of said light beam, amplifier and speaker means operated by the photoelectric cell, the reed obstructing the light beam directed to the photoelectric cell, whereby the light beam reaching the photoelectric cell is modulated and musical sounds are produced as the light beam is modulated by the reed, and means for controlling the timbre of said musical sounds, said last mentioned means comprising an aperture interposed between said light transmitting means and said photoelectric cell and in alignment with a desired portion of the vibrating reed and the inherent harmonic series thereof to produce the desired timbre.

9. In a photoelectric organ, means for transmitting a light beam, an elongated reed having a portion mounted in the path of said light beam for vibration transversely thereof, means for vibrating said reed, a photoelectric cell in the path of said light beam, amplifier and speaker means operated by the photoelectric cell, the reed obstructing at least a portion of the light beam directed to the photoelectric cell, whereby the light beam reaching the photoelectric cell is modulated and musical sounds are produced as the light beam is modulated by the reed, and means for controlling the timbre of said musical sounds, said last mentioned means comprising a plurality of selectively operated, normally closed shutters disposed between said reed and said photoelectric cell, each of said shutters exposing a selected portion of the beam interrupted by a selected portion of the reed to the photoelectric cell, and means for selectively operating said shutters.

10. In a photoelectric organ, means for transmitting a light beam, an elongated reed having a portion mounted in the path of said light beam for vibration transversely thereof, means for vibrating said reed, a photoelectric cell in the path of said light beam, amplifier and speaker means operated by the photoelectric cell, the reed obstructing at least a portion of the light beam directed to the photoelectric cell, whereby the light beam reaching the photoelectric cell is modulated and musical sounds are produced as the light beam is modulated by the reed, and means for controlling the timbre of the musical sounds, said last mentioned means comprising a plurality of wave forms disposed between said reed and said photoelectric cell, each of said wave forms permitting the passage of a selected and defined portion of the light beam interrupted by a selected and defined portion of the reed to the photoelectric cell, and means for selectively opening the selected and defined portions of the light beam, said light beam passing through a wave form and being modulated by a selected and defined portion of said elongated reed to produce a particular and individual timbre.

11. In a photoelectric musical instrument, means for transmitting a light beam, an elongated reed in the path of said light beam to vibrate transversely thereof, means for vibrating said reed, a photoelectric cell in the path of said light beam, amplifier and speaker means operated by the photoelectric cell, the reed obstructing the light beam directed to the photoelectric cell, whereby the light beam reaching the photoelectric cell is modulated and musical sounds are produced as the light beam is modulated by the reed, and means for effecting a desired timbre of said musical sounds, said means comprising at least one aperture disposed between said light beam transmitting means and said photoelectric cell and in alignment with a particular predetermined area of the reeds range of action in the light beam, said particular predetermined area of the reeds range of action as defined by said aperture in the light beam consists of a particular and peculiar harmonic series and different from the remaining area of the reeds range of action, said harmonic series of said particular predetermined area of the reeds range of action being a part of the total harmonic series and a part of the total area of the reeds range of action, said harmonic series being extracted and contained by said aperture in the light beam to effect a desired timbre corresponding to said harmonic series of said particular predetermined area of the reeds range of action as defined by said aperture.

12. In a photoelectric musical instrument, means for transmitting a light beam, an elongated reed in the path of said light beam to vibrate transversely thereof, means for vibrating said reed, a photoelectric cell in the path of said light beam, amplifier and speaker means operated by the photoelectric cell, the reed obstructing the light beam directed to the photoelectric cell, whereby the light beam reaching the photoelectric cell is modulated and musical sounds are produced as the light beam is modulated by the reed, and means for controlling the timbre of said musical sounds, said means comprising a plurality of apertures disposed between said light beam transmitting means and said photoelectric cell and in alignment with particular predetermined areas of the reeds range of action in the light beam, said particular predetermined areas of the reeds range of action as defined by and aligned with said apertures in the light beam consist of a particular and peculiar harmonic series, said harmonic series of said particular predetermined areas of the reeds range of action being parts of the total harmonic series and parts of the total area of the reeds range of action, said harmonic series being extracted and contained by said apertures in the light beam to effect the desired timbres corresponding to said harmonic series of said praticular predetermined areas of the reeds range of action as defined by said apertures in the light beam, and means for selectively opening said apertures to select the various timbres.

13. In a photoelectric musical instrument, means for transmitting a light beam, an elongated reed in the path of said light beam to vibrate transversely thereof, means for vibrating said reed, a photoelectric cell in the path of said light beam, amplifier and speaker means operated by the photoelectric cell, the reed obstructing the light beam directed to the photoelectric cell, whereby the light beam reaching the photoelectric cell is modulated and musical sounds are produced as the light beam is modulated by the reed, and means for controlling the timbre of said musical sounds, said means comprising a plurality of selectively operated normally closed shutters disposed between said light beam transmitting means and said photoelectric cell and in alignment with particular predetermined areas of the reeds range of action in the light beam, said particular predetermined areas as defined by said shutters when opened in the light beam consist of a particular and peculiar harmonic series, said harmonic series of said particular predetermined areas of the reeds range of action being parts of the total harmonic series and parts of the total area of the reeds range of action, said harmonic series being extracted and contained by said opened shutters in the light beam to effect the desired timbres corresponding to said harmonic series of said particular predetermined areas of the reeds range of action as defined by said opened shutters in the light beam, and means for selectively operating said shutters.

14. In a photoelectric musical instrument, means for transmitting a light beam, an elongated reed in the path of said light beam to vibrate transversely thereof, means for vibrating said reed, a photoelectric cell in the path of said light beam, amplifier and speaker means operated by the photoelectric cell, the reed obstructing the light beam directed to the photoelectric cell, whereby the light beam reaching the photoelectric cell is modulated and musical sounds are produced as the light beam is modulated by the reed, and means for controlling the timbre of said musical sounds, said means comprising an aperture and a plurality of selectively operated normally closed shutters disposed between said light transmitting means and said photoelectric cell, each of said shutters being aligned with portions of said aperture and portions of said vibrating reed and the inherent harmonic series of the portions of said vibrating reed to produce the desired timbres corresponding to said harmonic series, and means for selectively operating said shutters.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,039,659 5/1936 Ranger 841.18 X 2,318,144 5/1943 Darke 84-1.18 2,900,861 8/1959 Davis 84l.l8 X

ARTHUR GAUSS, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A PHOTOELECTRIC ORGAN FOR DELIVERING A MUSICAL SOUND, A PLAYING KEY, A SWITCH OPERATED BY SAID KEY, A LIGHT SOURCE HAVING A CONDENSING LENS FOR TRANSMITTING LIGHT, A TRANSPARENT REED BLOCK ALGNED WITH THE TRANSMITTED LIGHT AND HAVING A REED CHAMBER WITH AN AIR HOLE, A REED ADAPTED TO BE VIBRATED WITHIN THE REED CHAMBER, AN AIR CHEST COMMUNICATING WITH THE REED CHAMBER, AIR EXHAUST FAN FOR EXHAUSTING AIR FRO M THE AIR CHEST AND THE REED CHAMBER TO VIBRATE THE REED THEREIN, A PLUNGER NORMALLY CLOSING THE AIR HOLE IN THE REED CHAMBER, A SOLENOIDE FOR OPERATING SAID PLUNGER TO OPEN THE AIR HOLE, SAID KEY SWITCH CONNECTED TIN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT RELATION WITH THE SOLENOID TO RETRACT THE PLUNGER WHEN THE PLAYING KEY IS DEPRESSED, AND THEREBY CAUSE THE REED TO VIBRATE, SAID 